The Supreme Court of Ireland will hear an appeal by Independent TD Thomas Pringle against a High Court decision rejecting his challenge to Ireland's ratification of the European Stability Mechanism Treaty on July 23.

The High Court on July 9 had rejected Thomas Pringle's arguments that the ESM treaty was unconstitutional or invalid under EU law. It also refused to grant him an injunction preventing the state from ratifying it. The court did refer one issue to the European Court of Justice.

Lawyers for the state gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court today that the government would not ratify the treaty pending the outcome of the Supreme Court appeal, if that appeal could be heard and decided quickly. Chief Justice Mrs. Susan Denham said the court would begin hearing the appeal on July 23.